FBI Repatriates 500-Year-Old Cortés Document to Mexico

The FBI has successfully returned a valuable manuscript page, signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1527, to Mexico. This document, detailing payments for supplies for his expeditions, is part of a larger collection stolen from Mexico's national archives and marks a significant step in addressing historical injustices regarding cultural heritage.

In a notable example of cultural restoration, the FBI has repatriated a 500-year-old document back to Mexico, reaffirming its commitment to addressing issues of cultural heritage theft. The manuscript page, authored by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1527, was stolen along with 15 other pages from Mexico's national archives between 1985 and 1993.

Discovered within the United States, the document outlines payments made for provisions related to Cortés' expeditions that helped facilitate the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The colony, known as New Spain, encompassed significant regions across present-day North America and Latin America.

Arizona has previously kept this page under wraps until its recent return, coming to light after the Mexican government sought assistance from the FBI's art crime team in 2024. They detailed parts of the missing documents and the conditions that led to their theft. Further research by the FBI, including open-source techniques, led them to the manuscript's whereabouts in the U.S., where its exact owner remained undisclosed at the time of recovery.

Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, part of the art crime team, remarked that due to the multiple ownerships the page had undergone since its theft, no legal action would be pursued against any parties involved. She elaborated on the document's significance, stating it encapsulates the logistics and strategic thinking involved in exploring uncharted territories during that era, effectively highlighting how Europeans aimed to establish quicker routes to Asia's 'spice lands'.

The document's return contrasts with the ongoing political tensions between Mexico and the United States regarding trade tariffs and immigration policies. Nonetheless, the FBI insists on its responsibility as a major consumer of antiquities to combat the illicit trade of cultural assets. Highlighting the importance of such artifacts, Dittmer stated that these pieces are vital to understanding significant historical narratives that shape a nation.

The FBI continues its efforts to locate and repatriate remaining pages from the stolen collection, having previously returned another Cortés document to Mexico in 2023. This return underscores a growing acknowledgment of the importance of heritage preservation and the rectification of colonial ramifications.